The invention relates to a wing mirror unit, in particular for a motor vehicle, comprising a mirror foot for attachment to the body of a motor vehicle, and a mirror housing connected with the mirror foot, which mirror housing is adjustable with respect to the mirror foot between a folded orientation, in which the mirror housing substantially extends along the body of the motor vehicle, and an unfolded orientation, in which the mirror housing is substantially oriented transversely to the body.
Such a wing mirror unit is commonly known. The adjustability serves to adjust the mirror housing of the wing mirror between the unfolded orientation, in which the mirror housing extends relatively far outward with respect to the body, and a folded orientation, in which the mirror housing projects less far. In this manner, inter aha the risk of damage to the wing mirror can be diminished when parking, and the wing mirror can yield somewhat when colliding with an object. The wing mirror unit often comprises an electric actuator, with which the mirror housing is adjustable between the folded orientation and the unfolded orientation.
In the known wing mirror unit, to keep the necessary electric power of the electric actuator for adjusting the mirror housing as small as possible, the contact between the mirror housing and the mirror foot is kept as small as possible. Consequently, a slit is present between the adjacent surfaces of the mirror housing and the mirror foot. The mirror housing and the mirror foot are often provided with ring-shaped contact surfaces, for instance ring-shaped or cone-shaped contact surfaces, which are located coaxially around a base pivot, around which the mirror housing, under the action of the actuator, is pivotally arranged with respect to the mirror foot. Around the contact surfaces, between the mirror housing and the mirror foot, then extends a slit, which is often ring- or cone-shaped.
It is a drawback of this structure that through the presence of the slit the outer contours of the mirror foot and the mirror housing connect discontinuously. Through this discontinuity, during driving with the vehicle, a substantial amount of wind noise can be produced, which is unpleasant to the driver and the passengers of the motor vehicle.
The invention has for its object to provide a wing mirror unit of the type mentioned in the opening paragraph, in which, while retaining the advantages, the above drawback can be avoided. To this end, the wing mirror unit according to the invention is characterized in that the wing mirror unit is provided with an actuator, which is arranged to move adjacent surfaces of the mirror housing and the mirror foot transversely to each other between a first position, in which the adjacent surfaces of the mirror housing and the mirror foot enclose a slit, and a second position, in which the adjacent surfaces abut each other and the outer contours of the mirror foot and the mirror housing substantially connect flowingly. By arranging the actuator to move the adjacent surfaces of the mirror housing and the mirror foot transversely to each other, the slit can be closed and then be opened again without high friction occurring as a result of tangential movements of the contact surfaces along each other during the pivoting of the mirror housing. Consequently, a relatively light motor will suffice for the actuator, even when at the location of the outer contours of the mirror foot and the mirror housing the adjacent surfaces are located relatively far from a central axis of rotation energized by the actuator.
Preferably, the actuator is arranged to adjust the wing mirror unit in or near the unfolded orientation between the first position and the second position, so that during adjustment between the folded and the unfolded orientation the wing mirror unit is substantially in the first position. This ensures that during adjustment a slit is present and the contact surface between adjacent surfaces of the mirror housing and the mirror foot are minimized, so that when folding and unfolding a lowest possible friction must be overcome.
Further advantageous embodiments of the invention are defined in the subclaims.